By Susan S. Stevens A winter and early spring shut- down of the University Village Association (UVA) is almost over, with a move to a new address and work in progress on both a new community guide and the annual summer festival for Taylor Street. Lack of money forced closure of the community organization office Jan. 1 to May, said UVA President John Walsh. For decades An independent community newspaper since 1983. Near West/Tri-Taylor University Village West Loop South Loop West Haven Bridgeport/Armour Square Chinatown Bronzeville East Pilsen Heart of Chicago May 6, 2016 FREE Vol. 34, No. 1 Other highlights: Developer alters plans for Halsted Street buildings. See page 10. Chicago is not broke, says activist Tom Tresser of CivicLab. See page 22. RFMA wants Hubbard, Grand improvements. See page 22. INSIDE South Loop to have new mall at Taylor and Canal Streets. See page 20. By Mara Perlow Developer Crescent Heights ann- ounced plans for the South Loop's tallest building in September, and developers are set to break ground this June at 113 E. Roosevelt Rd., at the intersection of Roosevelt and Indiana Ave. New York-based archi- tect Rafael Violy designed the dual 76-story terraced tower structure containing 1,440 residential units. The developers have changed the height of the structure's base, however, arousing concerns among South Loop residents. Locals now call it the "Great Wall of Roosevelt," and the heightened base, along with the height of both skyscrapers, will form what will look to be a wall at the south end of Grant Park. Lisa Huber of the South Loop Residents for Responsible Devel- opment stated, "We are asserting that, to keep the new project com- patible with the neighborhood, the base needs to be lowered to the level of the other bases." The original, approved plan called for a base of seven stories, keeping in line with existing base heights at 1250 S. Indiana Ave. and the Sky 55 building at 1255 S. Michigan Ave. Neighborhood residents said they were not aware of a zoning change that allowed for increasing the base to 17 stories. The change happened some time since 2007, when original plans for the site submitted by a previ- ous developer, Central Station LLC, were approved by the City. Alderman Pat Dowell (3rd Ward) communicated to Dominik Sarna of South Loop Residents for Re- sponsible Development in an April 18 email that "The Crescent Heights design is within the parameters est- ablished, publicly vetted, and app- roved by the Department of Plan- ning in 2007. The Crescent Heights design presented at the 3rd Ward Town Hall meeting in September 2015 was not subjected to further public input by virtue of being Skyscraper base height increase concerns South Loop residents Continued on page 18 New 4th Ward Alderman Sophia King seeks to be inclusive. See page 16. Santa Lucia's Principal Geraldine Maratea looks back on her "labor of love." See page 12. By Eva Hofmann The City of Chicago recently ann- ounced plans for a recreational trail, similar to the north side's 606 Bloomingdale Trail, to replace the abandoned BNSF railroad route between Pilsen and Little Village. While many welcome this new amenity for the community, others are concerned about the changes it likely will bring. Known as the Paseo, this "rails to trails" four-mile, multi-purpose path will extend across the Lower West Side. Paseo centers around a community promenade that will feature a trail, gathering spaces, gardens, and public art that cele- brate Latino culture. "This is a strategic opportunity to adapt outmoded infrastructure into an important amenity that will enhance the quality of life for residents," said Mayor Rahm Emanuel. "It will move forward as a vibrant reflection of the unique cultural assets that characterize Pilsen and Little Village." Plans for new Pilsen walking trail have residents concerned about gentrification UVA springing back after winter break Continued on page 14 Continued on page 6 Photo by Troy Heinzeroth MARCHING TO SAVE ST. ADALBERT'S-Community residents and parish- ioners of St. Adalbert's Church marched on April 15, expressing their desire for the Archdiocese to keep the church open. See story on page 3.